


Six Months

by Endelethil



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassin AU, Blood and Injury, Crowe is your new bestie, Drinking, Drunkenness, F/M, No Beta, Reader is a mage, Reader-Insert, Treason, Vomiting, also reader is a devotee of garuda, because garuda is my fave summon, chapter 2 is kinda graphic at the end, no beta we die like king regis, reader is an assassin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:14:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26636419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endelethil/pseuds/Endelethil
Summary: You are given six months to complete your mission to assassinate the crown prince of Insomnia, Noctis Lucis Caelum. As one of Niflheim’s most skilled assassins, you expected this to be an easy mission. Get in, kill the target, get out. What you didn’t expect was how beautiful he is, how you blush every time he looks at you, or how much fun he is to hang out with. In only a few days, a new turn of events now has you questioning your loyalty to Niflheim.
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a lil something I had an idea for and couldn't stop writing. ^-^ Still not sure if this will just be a one shot or a whole series.  
> About the Kings Knight stuff: I haven’t played the official Kings Knight mobile game. My only mmorpg experience is playing World of Warcraft, so I just kinda of describe what raiding is like from my experience there. I hc that Kings Knight is more like a traditional mmorpg, but with the added benefit that you can play on both pc and mobile.  
> Also, Noctis and Prompto are FUCKING NERDS! <33

You were deadly with a weapon, and artfully skilled with magic. It wasn’t unheard of that a Niflheim soldier could develop a proficiency for both weapons combat and magic overtime, but very few had displayed such an affinity for both as quickly as you had. You’d only been a soldier for one year, yet within a few short months, you’d shown a level of proficiency that even the most seasoned veterans couldn’t compete with.  
  
In fact, your comrades would often complain that you were using unfair tactics during training, claiming that they just couldn’t _see_ you. _“All’s fair in love and war.”_ You’d retort with a smile, but your comrades knew something was different about you. Even the high-ranking officers knew that you were just a bit _too_ fast and skilled for your age, but because you made for such a lethal weapon, no one dared call you out for it. Instead, they entrusted you with some of the most important missions, knowing that you’d get the job done unseen.  
  
And that was why, at twenty years young, you were sent to assassinate the crown prince of Insomnia, Noctis Lucis Caelum.  
  
You were to infiltrate the ranks of the Kingsglaive and get close enough to finish the job. Then, return to Niflheim before anyone could suspect it was you. The mission was simple enough, but it would take time. You were given six months to complete your assignment. If you failed, well, you didn’t want to think of what the consequences would be. A failed assassination attempt on someone as important as the next heir to the Lucian throne would mean certain death. Failure simply wasn’t an option.  
  
So, when you were sent off to Insomnia with your forged documents, ready to join the Kingsglaive, you had only one goal in mind. _Eliminate the target._  
  
You didn’t know much about the crown prince, but honestly, you really didn’t give a shit. To you, he was just another target. Even if you _had_ known him personally, it was highly unlikely that you two would even be friends. The few members of royalty that you’ve had the pleasure – or rather, _displeasure_ – of meeting had been so insufferable to speak with, you would’ve cut their tongues out had you not been on duty. You doubted he would be any different. Luckily, you were being paid to cut tongues and throats this time.  
  
At least you would be when you returned. If this mission failed, you would be, for lack of better terms, _absolutely fucked._ You didn’t want to think of how difficult it already was to pay bills and rent in Gralea, much less Insomnia. A small apartment had already been secured for you in the crown city, with one month’s rent already paid. But if you managed to fuck up getting hired by the Kingsglaive, you’d be stranded in Insomnia before long. Not to mention, the empire would likely send another assassin in your place to not only finish the mission, but take you out as well for ‘defecting’ to Lucis. All in all, you’d be in for a bad time.  
  
You sighed and looked out the window of the train leading you through Niflheim. In only a few hours, you’d arrive in Accordo, and then only a short ferry ride to Galdin Quay, where you’d call a cab to take you to Insomnia. So much pressure to succeed rested on your shoulders. Your stomach was in knots and you were beginning to feel nauseous. You closed your eyes and leaned your head against the glass, letting the constant movement of the train rock you to sleep.  
  
  
Getting into Insomnia was much easier than you anticipated. Once you handed over your fake passport and ID to the guards at the checkpoint and recited your alibi that you had been celebrating your best friend’s birthday in Altissia, they welcomed you back home from your trip to Accordo.  
  
From there, your cab driver took you to your apartment complex, only a few blocks away from the citadel. The complex wasn’t anything special, and you hadn’t been expecting much, but you had to admit that it was still much nicer than your place back home. The cab driver got your suitcase out of the trunk before welcoming you back home himself and you thanked him before he drove off, leaving you all alone in this foreign country. So, this is where it begins. You carried your suitcase and small carry-on bag up the stairs leading to the entrance and made your way into the building before heading towards the elevator.  
  
**OUT OF ORDER.  
PLEASE USE STAIRS** _._  
  
_Fucking great._ And your apartment was on the third floor. _It’s only a minor inconvenience_ , you reasoned with yourself, and headed to the stairwell. As you were making your way up the first flight of stairs, a young man about your age with bright blue eyes and unruly blonde hair was on his way down.  
  
“Oh shit,” he said, looking up from his phone before pocketing it, “let me help you.” He rushed down and picked up the suitcase for you.  
  
“Oh, uh – thanks.” It was quite sudden, and you didn’t exactly _need_ help getting up the stairs with only one suitcase, but you were always taught to work smarter, not harder. So, if this random guy wanted to carry your shit for you, you’d let him.  
  
“So, where are we headed?”  
  
“Uh, 304.”  
  
“Dude, NO WAY! I’m in 305! We’ve been neighbors this whole time and I never knew? Weird, I know just about everyone in this building. You must really like to keep to yourself, huh?”  
  
“Yeah, I guess you could say I’m a bit of a loner.” You adjusted the bag strap on your shoulder to make it a little more comfortable, but also because you tended to fidget when you were nervous. You were supposed to be incognito for this whole mission, and already someone knew where you lived. _Already fucking up on the first day.  
  
_“So, what’s your name?”  
  
Don’t say your name. Give him a fake name. Fuck, but your documents had your real name on them. You hadn’t prepared for this. _Shit._ You were already in too deep.  
  
“Livia.”   
  
“Well, nice to meet you Livia. I’m Prompto. If you ever wanna hang out, just let me know! I usually get home from the citadel in the evenings, and I’m always looking for something fun to do!”  
  
“Wait, you work at the citadel?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m part of the Crownsguard.”  
  
“Oh cool. I was actually planning on joining the Kingsglaive.”  
  
“Duuuuude, seriously? If they accept you, you’ll get to use all kinds of cool magic and shit. That’d be siiiick!”  
  
“Yeah, it might take some getting used to, but I just want to serve the crown however I can.” _Damn, you were a good ass liar when you needed to be._  
  
You didn’t let him know that you already had a rather extensive knowledge on magic usage, as you’d been using it your whole life. In fact, your grandmother had witnessed you cast your first _Aero_ when you were only four years old. She was the one who ultimately guided you in your spell casting and taught you about the blood pact made between your ancestors and the goddess of the sky, Garuda. Your blood line had been blessed by the goddess, allowing you the innate ability to cast spells otherwise unknown to other mages.  
  
These skills were what made you such a deadly assassin. With a flick of your wrist, you could cast _Invisibility_ to bend the light around you, _Blink_ to evade otherwise deadly attacks, and even _Sight_ , which gave you a bird’s eye view of your current location. Not to mention the different range of wards at your disposal, _Hastega_ having gotten you out of a bind or two before. You’d also learned to harness the _Aero_ spells throughout the years and could now cast _Aeroga_ without expending much energy at all.  
  
And if any of those abilities failed you for whatever reason, you could call upon Garuda. She would honor the blood pact made so long ago, helping you whenever and wherever she was summoned. Although, you were always told to _never_ summon Garuda unless your life was in immediate danger.  
  
“Hey, do you play King’s Knight?” Prompto asked as he set your luggage down by the door to your apartment.  
  
“Uh – no, sorry.”  
  
“Aw, dude, you have to try it. My best friend and I play all the time and we’ve been looking for a third person for our raid group. Here, give me your phone, I’ll show you.” You gave him your phone and he typed away on both his phone and yours for a few seconds, downloading the app and accepting the invite he sent you.  
  
“All set!” He smiled as he handed your phone back to you. “I just added you to my guild and friends list. I’ll have my buddy send you a friend request too. We might be raiding on Tuesdays, but we’re still working out a solid schedule since he’s so busy. If we do, it’ll be easiest to just meet as a group. I usually host the raiding parties, and since you’re right next door that would also make things easier for you. My other friend, Iggy, always drops off some siiiick snacks for our hangouts, so you really don’t have to worry about food. Unless you want to have a drink, in that case, the get togethers are BYOB. Anyways, I’ll keep you up to date. Oh! Speaking of which, let me get your number. Texting is so much quicker than guild chat.”  
  
He seems innocent enough but _Shiva’s tits_ , he talks a lot. Does he even fucking _breathe_ between words? Apparently not, because before you knew it, the two of you had exchanged phone numbers and now you were expected to be free this Tuesday evening for raiding. Everything happened so fast. You just stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before he turned to leave.  
  
“Alright, sick. Catch ya later Livia!” He shot finger guns in your direction as he said it and disappeared around the corner.  
  
_What the fuck just happened?_  
  
You know what, doesn’t even matter. You dug the key out of your bag and made your way into you knew temporary home. The inside of the apartment wasn’t fully furnished, but you had the essentials. Functioning appliances, a bed, couch, and some minor decorative furniture like a few end tables and bookshelves. It would take some effort, but you’d have this place feeling like home in no time. Might as well plan to decorate since you’ll be here for the next six months.  
  
You started unpacking your suitcase and hanging up your clothes. In the middle of your suitcase laid a hand-carved Garuda statue. You moved to place it on one of the bookshelves. _“Always remember to honor our patron goddess, Livia.”_ Your grandmother’s words echoed in your mind, and you said a quick prayer to thank Garuda before unpacking the rest of your things.  
  
As you organized the bathroom, you stopped and looked at your reflection in the mirror. Tired dark green eyes stared back, and you realized you were looking a bit pale in the face despite your olive skin. _Man, continental travel does not look good on me._ Both your hair and skin were in need of some _serious_ tlc, but for now, you just pulled your waist length dark brown hair back into a plait and splashed your face with some water. You’d give yourself a ‘spa day’ later that evening to prepare for the citadel tomorrow. For now, you just wanted to get settled into your new place, so you spent the rest of the day cleaning and organizing.  
  
  
As it turns out, joining the Kingsglaive was no where near as difficult as you thought it would be. You presented your fake birth certificate and identification, displayed your combat proficiency with several sparring matches and finally met with the captain. He asked you why wanted to join the Kingsglaive. _“I just want to help wherever I can.”_ A shitty alibi, but for all they needed to know, you were just a patriotic Lucian.  
  
The next morning was your inauguration into the Kingsglaive. The ceremony was to be held in the throne room, where you and a few other new recruits would be granted use of King Regis’ magic. Once the ceremony was complete, you’d officially be a member of the Kingsglaive.  
  
You walked into the throne room dressed in your official Kingsglaive armor, trailing behind the captain with the other recruits, and stopped just before the steps leading up to the throne. Your breath caught in your throat when you saw him. A young man about your age, tall, with raven black hair and stormy blue eyes was speaking with the King.  
  
“My son, try to be mindful during the ceremony.” King Regis spoke low to the young man, and you could just barely make out what they were saying.  
  
_That’s the prince?  
  
_“Of course, your majesty.” He gave a low, exaggerated bow to the throne and smirked as he rose, drawing a laugh from the King. It would’ve been heart-warming if you hadn’t already felt your entire body growing warmer by the second. You tried to ignore the way the sunlight coming in from stained glass windows danced across his body as he moved down the steps and through the throne room. Your eyes met for only a brief moment, and he gave a slight nod and smile as he walked past you, to the other side of the room.  
  
_Woah.  
  
_Your attention was brought back to the King as he stepped forward. You held a fist over your heart and bowed before him, dropping to one knee, keeping your head low. This was it.  
  
“Do you, Livia, pledge your blade to the protection of both, the crown of Lucis and her people?”  
  
“This I do pledge.” You had rehearsed the simple line over and over in your mind since yesterday, not wanting to fuck anything up.  
  
“Do you swear your life and loyalty to both, the crown of Lucis and her people?”  
  
“This I do swear.”  
  
At your agreement, the King placed his hand on your head. In an instant, you felt his power surge through your entire body. Your muscles felt like pins and needles as the energy flowed through you, and you closed your eyes to ignore the slight discomfort. It was similar to the feeling you got when you expended too much magical energy, holding a spell for too long or trying to cast something you’ve never tried before. You hadn’t felt it since you were very young and still learning the ways of magic, but you knew how to deal with the _‘magical growing pains’_ , as your grandmother had so eloquently put it. This would just be another learning curve.  
  
“Rise, my Glaive.” He placed a gentle hand on your shoulder as he said it.  
  
You rose and met his gaze, giving a slight bow at the hips before stepping aside to join the captain and watch as the rest of your fellow recruits were sworn in. Across the room, you made eye contact yet again with the prince. You could feel your face growing flush, and you looked away immediately, choosing instead to focus on the recruits. Even as you looked away, you could still feel his eyes on you. _Fuck, he knows something’s up.  
  
_Once the ceremony was over, you and the other Glaives were dismissed. As you stepped out into the corridor, your phone buzzed in your pocket.  
  
_> “Hey Livi!! How’d the ceremony go??”_  
  
It was Prompto. Weird timing, though. How did he know the ceremony just ended? You got your answer a few seconds later in a follow up text.  
  
> _”Sorry, I swear I’m not a stalker or anything btw! My friend was there and just told me it was over. I told him to look out for you! Did you meet him yet?”_  
  
Uh, what the _hell_ was he talking about? _  
  
<_ _”Hey Prompto. Yeah, the ceremony was great. I’m officially a Glaive! :) And no, I didn’t meet anyone new yet.”_  
  
_> “No worries, he’ll be with us tomorrow for raid night!” An emoji of two crossed swords. “Get ready to rumble, girl!”  
  
_You laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. You’ve only been in Insomnia for two days and you already had a friend _and_ potentially another tomorrow. You didn’t really have any friends back home in Gralea. Your work had required too much time away from home that it didn’t seem worth trying to make friends. Yeah, you were ‘friendly acquaintances’ with your fellow combatants, but that was about as far as that went. Nothing like planning to hang out playing video games.  
  
You were walking and typing, not quite paying attention to where you were going before you bumped into someone.  
  
“Hey, watch where you- _Oh!_ ”  
  
You looked up from your phone and froze. You were standing face to face with the prince. Your _target_ , remember?  
  
“I- I’m so sorry,” you stuttered and gave a slight bow, “Your Highness.” You felt your cheeks growing warm and inwardly cursed at yourself for blushing so much today. He just laughed at your embarrassment and waved away your apology.  
  
“It’s all good. Uh, Livia, right? Just – uh – just call me Noctis, er, Noct. Noct is fine. ” He rubbed the back of his neck as he said it. Was he… was he blushing too? Was he nervous? Nope, no way. No _fucking_ way. _This is not happening.  
_  
“Right, Noct.”  
  
“Anyways, um, I’m on my way to training. So, see you around?”  
  
“Mhmm.” was all you could squeak out as you gave slight nod before rushing past him. You made it outside the citadel and took a deep breath, filling your lungs with fresh air, and you realized you’d been holding your breath this whole time. _Ifrit’s fucking BALLSACK, this is not fucking happening to me. Oh my gods, get your shit together, Livia. He’s the **target**.  
  
_Once you calmed down enough to the point where you were actually remembering to breathe, you left the citadel courtyard and started walking back to your apartment. You made it about one block away from the complex before you heard someone yelling. _  
  
_“Hey! Hey Livi!! Hey **LIVI**!! OVER HERE!”  
  
You looked around and noticed Prompto on the other side of the street, jumping and flailing his arms like a maniac, trying to get your attention. You waved back.  
  
“Hold on, give me a sec!” He ran up to the crosswalk and waited for the light to turn green, jumping up and down impatiently. “Duuuuude, you look so badass in that get up!” He admired your armor as he crossed the street, finally catching up to you.  
  
“Ha, thanks! It’s actually pretty comfortable, to be honest. So, what’re you up to?”  
  
“I was just heading out to get some stuff for tomorrow night. You know, extra snacks and drinks. Wanna come with?”  
  
“Uh, yeah sure. You mind if I go change first?” You really didn’t want to draw any more attention to yourself today.  
  
“Yeah, dude. No biggie.”  
  
  
As the two of you walked back to the apartment complex, bags full of snacks, alcohol, and a few necessary groceries for yourself, you chatted about the ceremony. He was particularly intrigued by the transferring of magic. You talked about the way the energy felt as it flowed into your body, and how it was kind of like a fatigued muscle. Prompto asked loads of questions, but you answered them all with a smile. It was nice having someone to talk to. He invited you inside when you guys reached the complex. You placed the bags on the counter and looked around his apartment.  
  
There was a chocobo pillow on the couch, a chocobo wall clock in the dining area, a chocobo yellow toaster in the kitchen, chocobo fridge magnets. He even had a book, titled, _‘Chocobos in Clothes’_ on his coffee table. _Holy shit._ “You – uh – you really like chocobos, huh?”  
  
“Huh? Oh, yeah dude! I found most of this stuff at either thrift shops or the dumpsters outside. Can you _believe_ people would just throw this stuff away?”  
  
“Can’t imagine why.” You humored him, still shocked at the sheer amount of chocobo décor.  
  
“Shit, I won’t be able to fit everything in here.” He backed up from the fridge and gestured to one of the six packs he bought. “Mind holding onto those beers for me until tomorrow?”  
  
“Yeah, sure.”  
  
“Cool, cool. I’ll help you with the rest of this stuff.”  
  
“Man, you really like to keep it bare bones in here.” Prompto commented as he entered your apartment. _Shit_ , you should’ve thought he’d find your lack of furniture suspicious.  
  
“Well, for a long time, I wasn’t exactly home every day.” It wasn’t even a lie. Back in Niflheim, you were always sent out on missions far away from the capital city. Sometimes for weeks or months at a time, just like this one. The only part that was a lie now was the implication that Insomnia was your home instead.  
  
“So, what did you do before joining the Glaives?” Prompto set your groceries on the counter and flopped onto the couch, making himself at home.  
  
“Oh, I was a mercenary.” You responded as you stocked the fridge and pantry. Again, it was just another half-truth. You did mercenary work back home, but only as a side-gig in your down time. Had to make money somehow, and as good as you were, being an assassin didn’t exactly pay the bills.  
  
“Ahh, see _that_ explains why I never saw you. To be honest, I didn’t even know anyone lived here.” He eyed his surroundings. “Well, now that you have a permanent position at the citadel, you think you’ll make this place up a bit?”  
  
“That’s kinda the plan once I get my first paycheck. It’ll be a few weeks though. I really can’t wait to deck this place out.” There was some truth to your words. You really couldn’t wait to fill the apartment with decorations and furniture, but you also didn’t want to become too attached to the place since you wouldn’t be here for very long. You couldn’t stay even if you wanted to.  
  
“Oh neat! What’s this?” He walked over to the bookshelf and you caught him just in time before he picked up the Garuda statue.  
  
“Don’t touch that!” Without even thinking, you _Blinked_ over to him and swatted his hand away.  
  
“Uh… my bad.” He looked at you with wide eyes and mouth agape, half surprised at your reaction and half surprised at the _speed_ in which you crossed the room. Even Noctis couldn’t move that fast with warping.  
  
“No, sorry. I overacted. It just that… it was a gift from my grandmother, and it means a lot to me. I just don’t want anything to happen to it.”  
  
“Nah, I get it. Damn, didn’t know they already taught you how to warp. Not gonna lie, tooootally jealous. But you might wanna cool it. I hear a lot of new Glaives get sick in the beginning if they warp too much.”  
  
“Ah, noted.”  
  
“Okay, well I’m gonna bounce. Thanks for shopping with me. Don’t forget, 5 pm tomorrow. Alright, catch ya late-uar, cactuar. Don’t be a slactuar!” _Again with the finger guns._  
  
You laughed and shot back with your own finger guns this time before closing the door.  
  
_What a weird guy.  
_  
_  
_ The next morning, you woke up before your alarm. You used the extra time to make yourself some coffee and have a full breakfast. It was sparring day, and you’d be learning how to use your new powers. You knew from previous experience that practicing heavy magic without being fully prepared would make for a bad time. When you were younger, you made the mistake of not eating before practicing your _Aeroga_ over and over again. You can still remember the warm, numbing pain that spread from your lower back through your arms and fingertips. You hadn’t been allowed to cast anything for a few days afterwards. In fact, your grandmother had to _Silence_ you for an entire week so you could properly recover, since you kept trying. Moral of the story: to cast any spell safely, your whole body and mind have to be in sync, and that means taking care of both.  
  
The first matter of the day was to learn spell casting. Your instructor, Crowe, had everyone meditate and focus on the new energy you all had flowing through your bodies. She explained that using magic was no different than flexing a muscle. During a breathing exercise, she encouraged everyone to find that muscle and flex. In an instant, variations of elemental spells appeared in each of the Glaives’ hands. An _Aero_ appeared in yours. After only a few hours of practicing with your new Glaive members, everyone seemed to get the hang of using the spells: _Fira_ , _Blizzara_ , _Thundara_ , and _Shellga_.  
  
Warping practice took a bit longer, as most of your comrades started vomiting after their first warp. You had to admit, Prompto was right about this. You also felt pretty nauseous having to practice it repeatedly, but Nyx said the only way to get used to it was to keep warping. So, when he called out, “Again!”, as you and your comrades formed up shoulder to shoulder, you pushed the feeling down and threw your dagger, successfully warping to the opposite end of the courtyard.  
  
At the end of the day, it was time to spar. You and your fellow Glaives now had the chance to showcase not only how quickly you learned today’s skills, but also how efficiently you could use them in battle. Crowe picked you out of the line and teamed you up with another Glaive that Nyx chose. You shook hands with your partner and moved to opposite ends of the courtyard, waiting for the signal to start.  
  
“Begin!”  
  
You threw a _Fira_ at your sparring partner, watching as the fireball just barely missed him as he warped out of the way at the last second. You _Blinked_ around the courtyard, dodging each _Blizzara_ he threw your way.  
  
As you moved to the left, you saw a tuft of spiky black hair out of the corner of your eye. There on the sidelines, watching, was the prince. His beautiful, stormy blue eyes were studying you as you sparred. His eyes were glued to you, and he didn’t even so much as glance at your partner. Your dark green eyes met his gaze from across the courtyard, and he smiled. You smiled back. _Fuck, he’s beautiful._  
  
In your distraction, you were almost hit by a _Blizzara_ , which missed your face by only a few centimeters, and you threw up a _Shellga_ to block the next one coming your way before shooting two more _Fira_ towards your partner. _Gods damnit! What the fuck is Noctis doing here during Glaive training?_ Three _Blizzara_ hit your _Shellga_ in rapid succession and you decided enough was enough. This asshole already showed you what they were capable of. A few poorly aimed _Blizzara_ were nothing compared to what you could do, and you weren’t about to get your ass handed to you in front of the prince.  
  
_Alright, showtime._  
  
With a flick of your wrist, you bent the light around your form, rendering yourself invisible. Your partner stopped for a moment, unsure where to cast the next _Blizzara_ he already formed in his hand. You cast a _Hastega_ with a small twitch of your fingers and quickly moved within casting range for your next spell. You shot an _Aeroga_ to the far left of your partner as a distraction. You always liked toying with your targets before delivering the death blow. He threw up a _Shellga_ in the direction of the spell with one hand and readied his _Blizzara_ in the other. While he was distracted, you warped behind him and summoned your daggers, holding the hilt of one against his back and the other at his throat.  
  
“Gotcha.” you whispered into his ear, before dropping your daggers and letting them dissipate into blue smoke at your sides.  
  
“Gods damnit!” he complained as he dropped his _Shellga_. “I really thought I had you for a minute there.”  
  
“Damn good job, Livia!” Crowe clapped as she congratulated you. Noct was clapping too, and you couldn’t help but smile at him. “That was some of the best use of magic I’ve seen in a long ass time.” She turned to your partner. “It’s not always about the offense. Even mages need to strategize. Livia here incorporated stealth into her casting, you could learn from her.” She turned back to you. “It’s nice to see that we have an experienced mage in our ranks. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen spell work like that.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“Alright, you two are dismissed. See you tomorrow.” Nyx said, before turning back to the other Glaives to choose a new set of partners. Noctis waved at you as you walked toward the door, and you waved back, still beaming with the pride of being praised by a veteran Glaive for your magical prowess.  
  
“One v. one me and I’ll get you tomorrow, Livi.” your partner teased as the two of you left the courtyard.  
  
“Whatever you say, man.” you joked back.  
  
~~~~~  
  
You felt gross from all the combat training, so the first thing you did when you got back home was take a shower. As you washed your hair, you couldn’t stop thinking about Noctis and how he ignited something in you to show off – to succeed. Everything about this was wrong. He’s the _target_. You have to kill him. He needs to die.  
  
“But, why?”  
  
You asked the question aloud to yourself and came to the realization that you’ve never truly questioned orders. If the empire told you to jump, you’d probably ask, “How high?”, before complying. When you were ordered to kill, you just killed without thinking. You had so much blood on your hands, you were surprised they weren’t already stained red. Was there really a need for more bloodshed?  
  
_This kind of thinking will get me killed for sure._  
  
Frustrated, you turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. You really didn’t have much of a choice here. It was either kill the target, or fail to do so and be killed yourself. Either way, someone had to die, and you preferred it not to be you.  
  
You wrapped a towel around your body and untangled your hair before skillfully crossing each strand over and under to form one long plait. Pulling a few strands down to frame your face, you looked in the mirror and decided that a bit of makeup wouldn’t hurt, if only to cover the exhaustion you felt from today’s activities. You put on a bit of eyeliner, mascara, and rose-tinted lip balm. Already you were starting to look more awake. You moved to your bedroom and rummaged through your closet to find something to wear. You settled on a fitted chocobo tee that you knew Prompto would probably ask to borrow, black skinny jeans, and some black canvas sneakers.  
  
You took one look in your floor length mirror on the inside of your closet, and decided this was good enough. You checked your phone. 5:20 pm. _Shit_. There was a missed text from Prompto.  
  
_> “Hey, Livi, you’re not flaking on us, are you?”_  
  
_< “No, sorry I’m coming. Be there in a sec.”_  
  
You started to head out the door before remembering the beers in your fridge. You turned around and grabbed them before finally leaving. You walked the few steps between apartments 304 and 305, knocking on Prompto’s front door with your free hand. There was some rustling behind the door before you heard Prompto yell, “Coming!” He answered the door and smiled when he saw your shirt.  
  
“Fashionably late, I see.”  
  
“Thought you’d like it.” You laughed and he gestured for you to come in.  
  
“Hey, Noct! She’s here!” He called out as you walked in.  
  
“Wait – _Noct_?” _  
_  
“Yeah, he said he saw you training today. Said you’re like _really_ good.” He responded as he closed the front door.  
  
“Noct. As in Noctis. As in, _Prince Noctis_?” You whispered, trying to keep your voice low in case Noctis was close enough to hear.  
  
“Uh, yeah dude, who else would it be? C’mon.” _As if I’m supposed to fucking know._ He guided you through the short corridor leading to the living area. As you and Prompto rounded the corner, you saw Noctis standing by the couch, phone in one hand, and a beer in the other. He looked up from his phone and smiled.  
  
“Alright Noct, the gang’s all here. But of course, like any person of good taste, she had to be fashionably late.” He gestured to your chocobo tee and you were _really_ starting to regret not picking something nicer to wear. “Man, good thing she’s right next door, huh?” Noctis nearly spit out his drink.  
  
“Wait, you’re Prompto’s _neighbor_?” he blurted out.  
  
“You’re Prompto’s _best friend_?” You were so dumbfounded that you could only respond to his question with a question of your own. _What the fuck were the odds?_  
  
“And you guys are _both_ my raiding pals.” Prompto slung an arm over each of you. “Noct, send Livi a friend request. She’s on the guild list.”  
  
You snorted when the notification popped up on your screen. “ _Noctgar_? Seriously?”  
  
“Hey, it’s more original than _Coeurlkitten_.”  
  
“Touché.”  
  
You handed Prompto the six pack you were still holding. “Kept them nice and cold for you.”  
  
“Sweeet.” He grabbed two and handed you one, before going to put the rest in the fridge. You and Noctis – _Noct_ – made awkward eye contact when Prompto left the room. He cleared his throat.  
  
“I – uh, I like your shirt.” His face was growing red. Okay, so maybe you hadn’t imagined him blushing last time.  
  
“Thanks. If I knew I’d be meeting the prince, I would’ve dressed nicer. I only wore the shirt because Prompto has like, an unhealthy obsession with chocobos and I thought it’d be funny.” Was it getting harder to breathe? You fidgeted with the hem of your shirt, wishing you had worn something more loose fitting.  
  
“So, we are doing this or what, guys?” Prompto asked when he finally returned.  
  
“Uh, yeah... just give me a sec?” You excused yourself to the bathroom. As you made your way down the short hallway, you could hear them talking quietly.  
  
“Dude, she like _suuuper_ pretty, right?”  
  
“Prom, when the fuck were you gonna tell me that she’s your _neighbor_?”  
  
“Dude, I thought I did. Chill, my guy.”  
  
“No, you didn’t. And I’ve been over here how many times since you told me about her?”  
  
This was obviously a point of contention between the two, and you figured you’d leave them to hash it out while you tried to remember how to fucking breathe. You were so nervous you thought you were going to throw up. Man, anxiety is a real _bitch_ sometimes. You made it to the bathroom and locked the door, taking a few deep breaths to calm yourself and waiting until the voices in the living room seemed to lose their edge. You looked at your reflection in Prompto’s mirror and reminded yourself that Noctis is the target. It doesn’t matter how quickly you’ve been able to get close to him. Use this to your advantage and get the job done.  
  
You took a few more deep breaths and walked back out into the hall. You could hear their voices still, but much lower now. You felt kind of bad eavesdropping, but you had to admit that you were pretty curious why they’d been arguing before. You flicked your wrist to cast _Invisibility_ so you could get closer and took a few light steps back towards their voices, stopping just before the hallway opened into the living room.  
  
“C’mon, dude. She’s like really cool once you get to know her.” Prompto took a seat in the armchair by the couch and leaned forward as he spoke, trying to keep his voice low.  
  
“Prom, I can barely even talk to her. How the _fuck_ am I supposed to get to know her?” He took a sip of his beer before bringing the bottle to rest in his lap.  
  
_Were they talking about you?_  
  
“Bro, just relax. I’ve never seen you this worked up before. You’re always mingling and dancing with women at the galas and shit, never took you as someone who gets nervous around the ladies. How is she any different?”  
  
“Uh – You mean besides the fact that she was handcrafted by the fucking gods? - _Oh fuck me -_ Prom, you should’ve seen her at the citadel today. The way she moved – I couldn’t look away.”  
  
_No way. It can’t be you. He sees so many people each day at the citadel, it’s probably one of the nobles._  
  
“Okay, so what do you want me to do, lover boy?”  
  
“Just help me out, okay?”  
  
That was all you wanted to hear. You stepped back towards the bathroom and flicked your wrist again, dispelling your _Invisibility_. Something about Noctis was already making the job so gods damned difficult even though this was the closest you’ve ever been to a target. It should be easy. In fact, given the way that things played out in only three days of being here, this should be the easiest mission you’ve ever been assigned to. Prompto mentioned earlier this week that “his buddy” – _Oh, you mean_ _THE FUCKING PRINCE_ – would be crashing at his place tonight. Perfect. You’ll just wait until he’s asleep and get it over with. Maybe this weird feeling will die with him. _Seriously, fuck this mission._ You put on a natural smile, walked back out to the living room, pulled your phone out of your back pocket and took the open seat on the couch next to Noctis. “Alright guys, let’s do this.”  
  
Noctis was the raid leader and tank with a Protection Paladin, you were dps as an Arcane Mage _(how fitting)_ , and Prompto played support as a Holy Priest.  
  
“Prom,” Noctis started once your group made it to the final boss, “go ahead and cast _Power Word: Fortitude_ on the party. I’ll need that stamina buff. And Livia, both you and Prom will benefit from _Arcane Intellect_ , so go ahead and cast that as well.”  
  
You and Prompto did as you were ordered. You also conjured up some food and water for the group to replenish mana and HP. You’d been playing for the past few days and were pretty comfortable with your dps rotation, but raiding was a much different experience than solo leveling. You each had a specific role to play, so now you had to strategize with your group and listen to the leader instead of running headfirst into mobs. And wow, do they take this seriously.  
  
“So when I pull the boss, he’s going to summon some adds, so Livia, I’ll need you to _Polymorph_ them for me and then focus on the boss. My AoE will kill them when they morph back. Also, he’s got this janky ass mechanic when he gets below 15% HP, so I’ll have you use _Time Warp_ then for the haste buff. Just wait for my signal.”  
  
“Gotcha.” You nodded.  
  
“Okay pulling now. Livia, open with _Arcane Blast_ and put down a _Rune of Power_. Now _Arcane Power_ then your racial ability. Awesome. Prom, _Holy Word: Sanctify_ then _Prayer of Mending_ on me, please.”  
  
“Already on it.”  
  
“Prom, _Holy Word: Serenity_ on Livia. And Livia, _Charged Up_ and _Arcane Barrage._ ”  
  
Noctis seemed a whole lot more relaxed giving orders and guiding you through the raid than he did in casual conversation. You found yourself thinking that if he wasn’t going to die tonight, he’d make a great leader and king.  
  
“Damn Livi, you’re actually pretty good at this! Don’t you think so too, Noct? Anyway, if you ever wanna try healing, I can show you-”  
  
“– Oh shit, Prom pay attention!”  
  
“Dude, you act like I haven’t healed your ass through this raid before. Chill.”  
  
“You also aggro’d the fucking boss and wiped last time.” Noctis pointed out.  
  
“Wow man, you let the healer die? Shit tank.” Prompto retorted sarcastically.  
  
“Just shut up and heal.”  
  
You had to laugh. These were your kind of people. Maybe in another lifetime, the three of you would’ve been great friends. It’s a shame this would have to end so abruptly. You guys carried on like that until you got the boss down to around 15% health.   
  
“Alright guys we almost got him. Livia, use _Time Warp_. Prom – ”  
  
“– _Guardian Spirit_ on you, I know. I told you man, I got this.”  
  
“Aw hell yeah!” Noctis exclaimed, fist bumping you as the final raid boss was defeated. Prompto stood up and gave an exaggerated bow to Noctis. “It’s been a pleasure keeping your dumbass alive, Your Highness.” Noctis only rolled his eyes in response. After looting the boss, the three of you spent the rest of the evening drinking and laughing. You couldn’t even remember the last time you had this much fun. This was the first time in _so long_ that you’d felt truly happy.  
  
As the sun sank below the horizon, Prompto went to his room to put his phone on the charger. Noctis had already passed out on the couch, and you were just sitting in the armchair, scrolling through your phone. When Prompto didn’t come back, you decided to go check on him. You opened his bedroom door, and saw that he had just passed out in his bed, too drunk to even plug his phone in. You walked over and plugged his phone in for him, before closing the door and stepping back out into the hallway.  
  
It was time. You were only here because you had a job to do, and as fun as this had been, you knew it was only a luxury for people like yourself. You didn’t get to be happy.  
  
With a sigh, you flicked your wrist and bent the light around you, shrouding yourself in the shadows. With a few light steps, you made your way to where Noctis was sleeping on the couch and summoned your daggers. _How ironic._ The King’s magic, meant to protect his kingdom and lineage, would be the very thing to take it away. It was almost poetic. You climbed onto the couch and positioned yourself on top of his sleeping body. You kneeled over him, knees on either side of his chest, and skillfully pointed one dagger to where you knew his heart beat and the other to his trachea. This was the most effective way you learned to stealthily kill a target. First, drive one dagger through the trachea so they can’t scream. Then, immediately follow with the second dagger through the heart. It’s a quick death, only taking about a minute or so.  
  
_At least he won’t suffer for long.  
  
_He stirred beneath you, turning his head so that he faced the window. His hair fell around his face as he moved, keeping a bent arm above his head and the other resting on his stomach. You should do it now, before he wakes up. You looked down at him as light from the streetlamp shone through the window, illuminating his features. He seems so peaceful and carefree.   
  
_He’s beautiful._   
  
You tried to ignore the heat rising in your face. _Thank Garuda he can’t see me._ You were so close now. You tightened your grip on the daggers, preparing to drive them through his tranquil body. Just finish this and you can go home.  
  
_But… I don’t want to go home._  
  
The realization hit you like a sack of bricks. Sure, you were born and raised in Niflheim, but once you became an assassin, it stopped feeling like home. Because of your line of work, you had to isolate yourself to keep those you cared about safe. You had no friends or lover, and the only family you had left was your sister, whom you hadn’t spoken to in years. There was _no one_ waiting for you back home. You had so few strings, if any, keeping you attached to Niflheim. In only three days here, you managed to make at least one meaningful friendship. Maybe _two_ if you didn’t kill the prince. At least here you have someone to talk to. You have someone who cares.  
  
You exhaled and loosened your grip on the daggers, dismissing them, and looked to where they had been pressed against his body.  
  
_I can’t do it._ _  
  
_You still have six months before anyone will think to come after you. You can afford to wait a just little longer and see where this new life might take you. If they send someone after you… you’ll figure something out.  
  
You moved away from the couch and flicked your wrist again, bringing your form back into view. As you made you way to the front door, you heard movement behind you. “Hmm… oh Livia, you leaving?” Noctis sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily. His somnolent voice was enough to make your heart swell and, at least in this moment, you felt no regret in abandoning your mission. You smiled. “Yeah. I’m just next door, if you need me. I’ll see you later, Noct. Goodnight.”  
  
He smiled back. “Good night, Livia.”  
  
You turned and walked out the door. When you made it back to your apartment, you marked a date on your calendar as a reminder, before slipping off your shoes and crawling into bed.  
  
_Six months._  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowee! It's been a hot minute since I've touched this story. You may have noticed that reader has now been named 'Livia' (Livi/Liv for short)!
> 
> In case you ignored the tags, this is your warning. There is some heavy drinking in the beginning of the story, some non-consensual grabbing, and some vomiting. There is a graphic description of blood and implied/imagined death in the end of the chapter. 
> 
> Future chapters are planned to be very dark and tags will be updated alongside each chapter.
> 
> Some personal headcannons:  
> -Ignis' family was in servitude to the Nox Fleuret family before the fall of Tenebrae.  
> -Kingsglaive partners are called their 'Blade'

“Livia. A word.” Crowe ordered as your fellow Glaives were slowly filing back out of the training courtyard, gathering their duffle bags to leave for the day. You walked over to her and she held out her hand expectantly. You’d learned over the past two weeks that this gesture meant she wanted to look over your weapon, so you pulled out one of your daggers and handed it over.  
  
“So, I’m assigning you to our black mage division.” Crowe inspected one of the official Kingsglaive issued daggers you usually kept tucked away in your boot as she spoke. Even before you became a Glaive and had the ability to summon your weapons at will, you always carried physical daggers. You had your own way of doing things, and you still didn’t feel comfortable fully relying on the King’s magic. Your methods, though oftentimes unconventional, had gotten you this far so, why let yourself get complacent on someone else’s power now?  
  
“You – what?”  
  
“You’re being promoted.” She moved her eyes from the dagger to meet your gaze before handing it back to you. You were dumbfounded. This had to be a joke. It took you no less than an entire _year_ to be recognized back home and placed in the assassination unit. “But Crowe, I _just_ joined the Glaives. I’ve barely been here a month.”  
  
“Yeah, and if you had waited to show this level of skill until next year, I’d promote you then.” She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at you before continuing, watching as you slipped the dagger between where your calf met the top of your boot, expertly looping it through one of the laces to hold it in place.  
  
“Look, you’re good Livia. Like, _really_ good. This promotion has nothing to do with how long you’ve been in service. If you’ve got the proficiency, which _you do_ , we’re gonna put you in the best position to use those skills.” You nervously adjusted the bag on your shoulder, and she turned away from you, walking to the other end of courtyard to pick up her own duffle bag. “Okay, look Livia. I’m not stupid. Maybe the others can’t see it, but _I know_ when someone isn’t relying on the King’s magic.” You froze. Seeing your reaction, she came over and patted a hand on your shoulder before continuing. “Relax. I’m not mad. We need more experienced mages in our ranks. That’s one of the reasons why I’m promoting you.”  
  
You sighed and brushed a few stray hairs from your face that had fallen out of your plait during today’s sparring session. “I didn’t realize it was so obvious. I’m just so used to using my own magic that I don’t even feel like I need the King’s.”  
  
“I mean, I get it.” She shrugged. “I’m in the same boat here too. I don’t really care how or why you can use magic the way you do. If you’re anything like me, you probably couldn’t explain it anyways.”  
  
“Yeah…” You bit your lip and looked away, hoping she wouldn’t press the matter further. Amongst other things, that was the _one_ aspect of your life that had to stay a secret. Luckily, she continued on.  
  
“The other reason I’m promoting you is because His Highness has requested your assignment personally.” At that, your jaw dropped. “The _prince_ wants to promote _me_?” you blurted out. You could feel yourself blushing. Gods, even just _thinking_ about him made you flustered.  
  
“That he does. I’ll admit, it’s a first. I’ve never had a request like this from him. In fact, he’s rarely ever involved himself with the Kingsglaive. Never showed any interest. Only started hanging around after you new batch of recruits got on. Could just be something the King has asked him to do. Boost morale amongst the new recruits. You know, _see_ who they’re fighting for and all, but…”  
  
“But why would he request _me_?”  
  
“It’s not my job to question orders, Livia. However, he seemed quite impressed with you yesterday.” It was true that Noctis had been coming around the training courtyards more often, assuming he wasn’t busy with his own training, to watch the Glaives spar. Specifically, you. You learned from your fellow Glaives that, _coincidentally,_ he’d only show up long enough to watch you and your partner, and _maybe_ the next pair, before leaving shortly after you were dismissed.  
  
_What the fuck kind of game is he playing?_  
  
“Don’t think too much about the ‘how’ and ‘why’ you got promoted. Just be happy about it.” Crowe’s voice cut through your thoughts. “We’ll get you fitted for your new uniform sometime tomorrow. You’ll be spending a lot more time with me, as I’m no longer your superior. We’re equals now, Livia. So, if you need anything, just let me know.” She smiled, and you couldn’t help smiling back.  
  
“Gods, I just can’t even believe it.” You said as the two of you walked out of the courtyard and through the citadel. “Yeah, well neither could I when he told me. Gotta say though, after the initial shock of being requested to promote a Glaive so soon after recruitment, I’m really not that surprised. Watching you spar is pretty captivating, and it’s no wonder His Highness noticed. Just about had to pick his jaw up off the ground myself every time he watched you.” You blushed at that last comment, and your phone buzzed in your pocket. It was Prompto.  
  
**_> Prompto:_** _“Hey giiiirrrrl. :) Sooooo, how was sparring today?”_ He was being a bit too on the nose.  
  
**_< Livia: _**_“Alright Prom, what aren’t you telling me?”_  
  
**_> Prompto:_** _“Ohhh, nooothing. Just asking how sparring went. :)”_  
  
**_< Livia: _**_“Well, I just got promoted to the black mage division. So, that’s a thing.”_  
  
**_> Prompto:_** _“YES!! Ugh! Finally, I can say something! I’ve been trying to keep this a secret for literal DAYS, Livia!! **DAYS!!** ” **  
  
>Prompto: “**Noct told me after the first time he saw you sparring that he wanted to promote you. Said you’d be a perfect addition to the black mages. He finally met with Crowe a few days ago to talk about it. Anyways, **CON-KWEH-TULATIONS!!** ”_ He finished his message with a chocobo emoji.  
  
**_< Livia:_** _“Lmao, thanks Prom.”  
  
_Somehow, he seemed more enthusiastic than you about the promotion. Obviously, you were thrilled, but not really about being promoted. No, you honestly couldn’t give a shit about that. What excited you was the fact that not only had Noctis requested your assignment personally, but that he also had been talking about you to Prompto. He was talking about how _good_ you were as a mage, which was something you took immense pride in, and also how you’d be the _perfect_ addition to their stealth mage division. The thought of Noctis talking about you like that made you blush, and you hoped Crowe wouldn’t look over as the two of you kept walking. Your phone buzzed again in your hands as Prompto responded.  
  
**_> Prompto:_** _“Tbh, I never even knew he kept up with the Kingsglaive. Like, had no idea he even knew the different divisions and like where to put you. Must be some royal shit he had to learn tho. So, you wanna celebrate? I still have a full bottle of tequila!”  
  
_At that moment, Nyx Ulric was walking up the corridor. When he saw you and Crowe walking, he picked up his pace and jogged to catch up to you, smiling all the way. He gave a knowing look to Crowe, and she responded with a subtle nod, a smile forming on her own face. He turned to you. “Congrats on your new promotion, black mage!”  
  
_Gods damn, how does everyone in the fucking citadel know already?  
  
_“Thank you, sir.” You adjusted the strap on your duffle bag and slid your phone into the side pocket of your training uniform.  
  
“Hey, none of this ‘sir’ stuff anymore. I’m not a black mage like Crowe, but we’re still equal ranks now. Just ‘Nyx’ from now on, okay?” You nodded and he continued. “Anyway, Crowe and I were gonna go out for a drink. You ever been to the east side of Insomnia?”  
  
Known only as _the slums_ to the wealthier Insomnian natives, you’d learned from Prompto that the east side of town is where most of Insomnia’s refugees and lower-income citizens lived. More specifically, an influx of Galahdan refugees like those in the Kingsglaive had all but turned the block into what they called _little Galahd_. You hadn’t been, but since you were already walking a thin line to becoming an enemy of the state of Niflheim, you figured you might as well live it up and see all you can before these six months were up.  
  
“Haven’t been yet, but I’m down for a drink.” You shrugged and Nyx threw his arm around your shoulders. “Oh, man are you in for a treat. Galahdan liquor is some of the finest in all of Lucis.” He waved his hand in the air dramatically. Crowe only hummed in agreement. You pulled out your phone again as the three of you walked to the parking garage.  
_  
**< Livia:** “Gonna have to pass. Hanging with Nyx and Crowe tonight.”  
  
**> Prompto: **“Holy SHIT you get to hang out with NYX?! Dude, he’s fucking L-E-G-E-N-D-A-R-Y. So jealous.”  
  
**> Prompto:** “I’ll save the tequila for tomorrow night then! Lmao Gladio and Ignis are gonna need some alcohol to deal with all of us anyway.”  
  
_With that, you pocketed your phone a final time as the three of you piled into Crowe’s jeep. She drove you and Nyx to one of their favorite bars on the east side of town, a quaint cantina ran by another Galahdan refugee.  
  
Nyx was right. Galahdan liquor _is_ some of the finest, probably in all of Eos, but it's also the strongest shit you've ever had. Nothing back home hit you as hard and fast as a few shots of this stuff. It didn't help that you had barely eaten today. Crowe had ordered a plate of kababs for the table and you had politely declined before you started drinking. _Bad fucking idea._ You tried to eat a kabab from the plate Crowe placed in front of you, but you were already too drunk for it to make a difference.  
  
"For hearth and home!" The three of you cheered as you knocked back another round of shots.  
  
Nyx didn't seem to be as affected as you or Crowe, and as Crowe went to order more drinks, you found yourself having to lean against Nyx to balance yourself as the two of you chatted. He slipped an arm around your waist to steady you. "Congratulations on your promotion." His voice was low. He squeezed you tighter, pulling you closer to him and you could smell the alcohol on his breath as he spoke. His touch moved lower down your back and he grabbed your ass. _Well, he gets fucking handsy when he drinks._  
_  
_ You drunkenly pushed him off as Crowe was walking back and he laughed at your feeble attempt, knocking back the rest of his drink. She raised an eyebrow at you as she set more drinks on the table. You just waved it off and grabbed _whatever the fuck this is_ she just brought you and downed it. You were gonna enjoy the _fuck_ out of tonight.  
  
The guy running the cantina, who you learned was named Vincent _but Vinny for short_ , told Crowe she could leave her car parked there for the evening since she only lived a few blocks away. “LIIIIVVVVIIIIII! You’re coming with meeee. We’re bestiieess you stay with meeee tonight!” You laughed as she threw an arm over you, and you wrapped one arm around her waist to keep you both upright. “Best friends foreveeerrr!!” You sang as you both stumbled out of the cantina, waving back at Vinny as he wished you both a safe evening.  
  
You and Crowe bumbled your way through the streets and back to her apartment complex, laughing and singing at the top of your lungs, likely annoying the shit out of her neighbors, but you were way too drunk to care. The two of you stumbled your way up the stairs to her floor, but not before she had to stop and sit down on one of the steps because she was _so tired of walking_ and you kept tripping up every other step. Eventually, you both made it to her apartment unscathed and you leaned against the wall as she drunkenly fumbled with her keys, hugging your sides as you both laughed at her failed attempts to unlock the door.  
  
When she finally got the door open, she dragged you into the living room. “Hey if you’re into –” She sat on the floor and leaned against the sofa. “–you like Nyxsss’it’s coooool.” You plopped down to join her and patted the carpet as you leaned your head against the cushions. _This is a nice carpet._ “No ruless’gainst it.”  
  
“I – uhh, whaaaat? Noooooo… I’m – I’m sooo not into Nyx I sweeaarrrr. But like…. Noctis is fuckinh – he’s GORGEOUS!”  
  
“AAHHHHHH ohemgeee you two can be l- _hic_ -ike the prince and you!!!” She pointed her finger at your chest. “Can be the princess!” At that, the two of you doubled over laughing hysterically. If your sober self had seen you like this, she probably would’ve asked you what the _fuck_ was so gods damned funny. Maybe it was the irony of it all. Sent to kill the Prince and now you’re falling head over heels for him. Crowe yawned and crawled up onto the sofa. “I th-thiink he’s into you too.” She stretched her arms out above her head and you momentarily sobered up just enough to process what she was saying.  
  
_Noctis is into me?_  
  
“Wh – huh what do you mean he –?” You looked up and she had already fallen asleep. You leaned your head back against the sofa and sighed before laying down on the soft carpeted floor and succumbing to an inebriated slumber of your own.  
  
~~~~~  
  
You woke up to the sound of an alarm blaring through the room. “Ughhhhh.” _Fuck, my head hurts._ You slowly opened your eyes and regretted it instantly. The light coming in from the window made your head ache worse _if that’s even possible_. You put your arm over your eyes to shield them from the offending sunlight. You heard a groan above your head. “Turn that shit off.”  
  
Still in the shade of your forearm, you looked up to see that Crowe had fallen asleep with an arm hanging off the sofa and was now blindly searching for her phone. The noise was downright _insulting_ to your senses, and you wondered if she always woke up like this. Well, minus the _super hungover_ part. When she couldn’t find her phone, she patted at your face. “Help me find it please, my head hurts.”  
  
You sat up _a bit too fast_ and your head swam. The whole room was spinning, and you had to grip one of the cushions just to stay upright. You looked around slowly and spotted her phone on the carpet, just a few centimeters away from where Crowe was laying. You crawled over to it and tapped snooze. That was when you noticed the time, 07:45. _Fuck!_  
  
You crawled back over to Crowe and tried to shake her awake. “Crowe…Crowe, c’mon get up.” She tried to wave you away, but let her arm drop again. “Crowe seriously. CROWE wake the fuck up! It’s already 07:45!” At that, she stirred awake. “Hmm, what?”  
  
“I said it’s already –” She didn’t let you finish. She reached for her phone and when she saw the time, she sat up. “Shit, shit, SHIT!!” She stumbled off the sofa and leaned on the wall as she made her way down the corridor to the bathroom. She lurched forward over the toilet and puked while you laid back down on the carpet. _Nothing like the soothing sounds of vomiting to lull you back to sleep_. You felt like you’d been hit by a car. Every muscle hurt to the touch and if the pain wasn’t incentive enough to lay back down, the nausea sure as hell was. You stared up at the ceiling and pleaded with yourself to keep it together. _Don’t throw up bitch. Don’t fucking do it._  
  
“Fuck we’re gonna be so late!” She called out from the bathroom, toothbrush hanging from her mouth. “Nyx is gonna kill me. OH shit, you too bitch!” She pointed at you from across the apartment and at that moment, you both remembered your new rank. _Titan’s stony DICK!_ If Crowe was getting reprimanded, you’d be as well. “Get your ass up, Livi!”  
  
Luckily, you were still _somewhat_ in your uniform. You had dropped your jacket by the front door when Crowe dragged you in last night, but it was still in good shape. Not too wrinkled. You’d be getting fitted for a new uniform today anyway. Crowe made her way to the fridge and pulled out two elixirs, tossing one your way. You caught it with one hand, despite having to lean over the counter to balance yourself. At least most of your reflexes were still intact. “Bottoms up!” You both crushed them against your chests and within a few seconds, your head started to feel better. The room finally stopped spinning and you felt like you might actually be able to walk out of this apartment and not eat the fucking floor.  
  
The two of you made it to the bottom of the stairwell without injury and ran outside. Crowe looked around frantically. “Dude, where the _fuck_ is my car?!” You looked around the parking lot and realized she must’ve left it at the cantina. “Crowe, Vinny’s place! Remember?” You could see the gears turning in her head as memories of last night came flooding back. “Oh, fuck me! _Gods damnit_ I hate myself!” You both made a mad dash a few blocks south, back to the cantina parking lot. Vincent waved at you from behind the glass and you hastily waved back before jumping into Crowe’s jeep.  
  
You barely got the passenger door closed before she started pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main streets. She expertly weaved through the usual city morning traffic and made it to the highway in record time. “Damn Crowe, you’ve done this before?” She laughed before responding, “You don’t even want to know, girl.” You pulled your phone out to check your notifications as she drove, and _holy shit_ did you drunk text last night. You must’ve been texting at the cantina, because you passed out pretty quick once you made it back to Crowe’s place. You skimmed through your texts and froze when you saw Noctis’ name at the top. “OH, FUCK ME!”  
  
“What? What happened?!” Crowe erratically swerved in and out of lanes, just narrowly missing each vehicle she passed. “Ugh! I was drunk texting last night.” You dropped your phone to your lap and put your hands over your eyes. Fuck, this morning could _not_ get any worse. “Oh shit, dude! I hope it wasn’t anything embarrassing.” She switched lanes again before exiting the highway. “Ughhhhh.” you groaned. “I don’t even want to look, Crowe.”  
  
“Do it! Do it! DO IT!” She cheered you on as she crossed four lanes, no turn signal, to make it to the roundabout. With the way she was driving, you’d make it to the citadel in about five minutes. “Okay, okay. I’ll look.” You laughed and braced yourself for what you’d find in those texts. After skimming through each one, you were very grateful for whatever deity, _probably Garuda_ , that had decided to spare you of eternal embarrassment. You were also grateful, for probably the first time ever, that you had so few numbers saved in your new phone. Each text was basically just _slamming your hands against the keyboard_ nonsense sent out to Prompto and Noctis. “Thank the six,” you let out a sigh of relief, “it’s just random gibberish.”  
  
“Aye, that’s my girl!” Crowe cheered as she pulled into the Kingsglaive parking garage. “Even when we’re fucking up, we’re doing it right!” You rolled your eyes in response, but damn did it feel good to have _not_ fucked things up with Noctis so soon.  
  
As soon as she was parked, the two of you jumped out and ran into the citadel. You collided with one of the Crownsguard members during your stampede, _big beefy dude,_ and you just about thought Crowe was going to shit a brick. She obviously knew him, but you didn’t have time for questions and introductions, so a quick ‘sorry’ as you kept running would have to suffice. He just nodded and called after you two to watch where you’re going.  
  
You checked the time as you were running down the corridors. 08:00. “Holy shit, Crowe…” you said breathlessly as you finally reached the door to the Glaive Headquarters, “we made it right on time.” She put her hands on her knees and took a few deep breaths. Even with the elixirs this morning, exerting that kind of physical energy had your lungs working overtime. “Yeah…” she said in between breaths, “I’m – _fuck_ – I’m just good like that.” Save for the burning lungs and leg muscles, nobody was hurt in the rush to get to the citadel on time.  
  
You opened the door to see Nyx in the center of the room, ordering your fellow Glaives to form up for today’s agenda. “Livia, Crowe,” he nodded as the two of you fell in line with your colleagues, “nice of you to join us this morning.” You and Crowe gave each other a sideways glance and tried to hide your laughter. You couldn’t help smiling at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. This entire morning had been an absolute clusterfuck and the two of you were just lucky to have made it to the citadel in one piece.  
  
You found yourself thinking that, as crazy as last night _and_ this morning had already been, you wouldn’t change a thing. Hanging out with Crowe reminded you so much of your relationship with your sister. It brought back the good memories and left the bad ones to be forgotten. She had been your partner in crime and you two were _always_ doing crazy shit when you were kids. Like that one time you took turns casting a bunch of _Aeros_ at each other’s feet to propel yourselves up in the air, all because you had the wild idea that you two should be able to fly since you were Garuda’s chosen. It’s been so long since you’ve felt this kind of comradery, and in this moment, you were so glad to have met Crowe.  
  
“As you all know by now, the Kingsglaive work in pairs. We all have an assigned partner, a Blade. Crowe, thus far you have worked alone, but seeing as we have a new recruit in the black mage division, I’ve decided to pair you with Livia.” Crowe nodded in response.  
  
When she thought Nyx wasn’t looking, she glanced over at you and gave another smile, secretly raising a thumbs up. You returned the gesture as inconspicuously as possible before falling back into stance. Feet spread, eyes forward and hands behind your back. Nyx noticed the gestures passed between the two of you, but didn’t say anything. He just smiled to himself and continued on with today’s agenda, assigning each division and solider their schedule for the day.  
  
As this was your first day in your new division, he assigned you to get fitted for your new uniform. “Livia, you will go to room 12B, where we have someone stationed to take your measurements. If they have a uniform in your size, you’ll get it today. And Crowe,” He turned to her before continuing, “you are to accompany your Blade.” She nodded in response, keeping her eyes forward. “Return to the sparring courtyard when you two are finished.” You both nodded in response this time.  
  
“For hearth and home!” He shouted as he fell into stance at the front of the room. “For hearth and home!” You all echoed back. “Dismissed.” At that, everyone fell out of line to gather their things and make their way to wherever they were stationed for the day. Crowe came up to you immediately. “So, partners, eh?” She held out her fist and you bumped it with your own before responding, “Fuck yeah, dude.”  
  
“C’mon, I’ll take you to the room.” The two of you walked down the corridor to the elevator and she scanned her keycard as the doors closed. “You haven’t been to the twelfth floor, huh?” You shook your head in response and the elevator began its ascent. “Crownsguard floor. Be prepared.” _What the fuck does that even mean?_ “Hey Crowe, speaking of the Crownsguard, who was that guy we ran into earlier?” _Third floor. Fourth floor. Fifth floor._  
  
“Just call him Gladio. He’s the Prince’s shield, which basically means he'll kill anyone who even _looks_ at His Highness the wrong way. Man doesn’t fuck around and takes his job hella seriously.” She continued and the elevator dinged at each passing floor. “He’s an Amicitia, and nearly everyone in that family has served as a shield. His father is the King’s shield and he’ll be expected to take up the mantle when Noctis becomes King.” She paused. _Eighth floor. Ninth floor. Tenth floor. Eleventh floor._ “He’s… also my ex.”  
  
“The _fuck_?” The elevator sang as the doors opened to the twelfth floor and she grabbed your wrist, hurriedly guiding you down the corridor. _Okay, so she wants to avoid Gladio._ You brought your voice to a whisper. “Bitch, what the _hell_ were you doing sleeping with someone like that?” She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Could be worse, I could’ve been fucking Prompto.” You choked back your laughter as you passed one of the Crownsguard training rooms. She looped her arm around yours and pulled you down a second corridor. “Besides, no one can resist that Amicitia charm, Livi. _No one_. Not even you.” It was your turn to roll your eyes. “Bet.”  
  
After making it to the room undetected by Gladio, your measurements were taken and the tailor informed you that _‘Yes, of course we have your size’_. It was finally time to try on your new garb. As you walked out of the makeshift fitting room, Crowe _insisted_ on taking a picture, seeing as you were both in matching uniforms now. “Partner selfie!” She pulled out her phone and you barely had enough time to smile and throw up a peace sign before she snapped the pic. “Oh, I’m totally sending this to Nyx. He’ll be so jealous we’re having fun.” You laughed and thanked the tailor before the two of you stepped back out into the corridor.  
  
The Crownsguard all seemed to be in their respective training rooms now, leaving a near empty corridor, so you and Crowe navigated your way back to the elevator more slowly this time. “Fuuuuck, I’m _so_ not looking forward to sparring practice. Nyx is gonna pit us against each other. I’ve already seen you fight, and I don’t want _any_ of that.” She playfully punched you in the arm and her eyes went wide as you passed by one of the open rooms. You didn’t notice her reaction and kept talking. “Well, I was only –”  
  
“ –Livi, shut the fuck up!” She was whispering again, but it was too late. Whoever she was trying to keep from hearing you already did. She grabbed your wrist and you only had a few seconds to look back at the open room before she dragged you down the corridor again. Staring at you both from inside the room were Noctis and Gladio. _This fucking day._ “Gods damnit, Crowe.” You were desperately trying to keep your voice down as you hurried through the corridors, hoping you’d make it to the elevator before they caught up to you. Meanwhile, you could hear both Gladio calling Crowe’s name _and_ Noctis calling your name. _Nope.  
  
_You broke into a sprint and Crowe did the same. _So much for subtlety._ You made it to the elevator and Crowe slammed the call button so hard you thought she would break it. “ _Fucking hell_ , Crowe! Why does all this weird shit keep happening with you?” She was practically punching the call button like it owed her money at this point. In her defense, it _was_ taking too long. “Look, my life’s a fucking mess, okay? I know, just…” She looked around frantically before her gaze settled on the door to the stairwell. “Crowe, I swear to Shiva if you make me take those _gods damned_ stairs.” You could hear Noctis’ and Gladio’s footsteps as they ran, rapidly catching up to the corridor. Crowe didn’t hesitate and pushed you toward the door. “Just shut up and GO!”  
  
Unfortunately for you, the Kingsglaive sparring courtyards were located on the eighteenth floor. _Six fucking flights of stairs._ Apparently, they were built that far away to prevent deadly injury of ordinary citadel employees. And since the Glaives were not only practicing heavy magic, but also throwing their weapons around and warping _literally everywhere_ , the decision to dedicate an entire floor for their type of training was deemed the safest option. But right now, it _fucking sucked_.  
  
“You know,” you were already out of breath by the time the two of you reached the fifteenth floor, “just to spite you –” you took in another full breath, lungs on fire just like earlier, “I’m – I’m gonna kick your ass today.” Crowe groaned in response, though it was hard to say whether it was because of your threat or the fact that you two were practically sprinting up several flights of stairs. Probably the latter.  
  
~~~~~  
  
After sparring practice and six out of six victories, although Crowe _did_ put up a hell of a fight the last two rounds, Nyx dismissed you. You didn’t usually go to the locker rooms at the end of a sparring session, mainly because you only lived a few blocks away from the citadel, but since it was on your way out, you figured you’d walk with Crowe the rest of the way. You chatted idly as you rode the elevator back down to the Glaive’s quarters.  
  
You and Crowe left the elevator once it reached the bottom floor. As the two of you passed through the arched corridor lining one side of the lower level indoor garden, you spotted Noctis sitting on one of the wrought iron benches by the small koi pond, scrolling through his phone. You stared _maybe just a little too long_ and he looked up to meet your gaze. _Shit_. He smiled and gave you a small wave before motioning for you to stay there as he made his way up the stone steps to your side of the garden.  
  
Crowe nudged you in the side with her shoulder as he approached, and you nudged her back with a bit too much force. “Oof!” She rubbed her side and you just rolled her eyes. “Hey, Livia.” He didn’t even acknowledge Crowe. “Mind if I walk with you?” _He wants to walk with me?_ “I mean, Crowe and I were just headed to-“  
  
Crowe interrupted you. “Oh, she was just walking with me to the – uh – to this corridor. Yeah, so she was just about to leave me, anyway. Right, Livi? Go ahead.” She smirked as you stared daggers in her direction. She must’ve remembered your drunk ‘confession’ last night. Saying someone is gorgeous doesn’t really _mean_ anything, but Crowe was probably never going to let you live it down. Especially since you said it about _the Prince_ of all fucking people. You looked back to Noctis and smiled. “Yeah, sure Noct. That’s fine.”  
  
You saw Crowe raise her eyebrow at your informal way of addressing the Prince. This time, you gave a smirk of your own as you and Noctis walked back towards the way you came. You’d explain later, but after all the shit she put you through this morning, it humored you to let that puzzled look on her face linger a while longer.  
  
“Sorry to cut in the middle of you guys like that. I meant to ask you earlier if I could walk with you back to the apartments since its raid night, but you and Crowe were in a rush. I’m gonna help Prompto set up early since we invited Gladio and Ignis.” _Fuck_. You forgot it was Tuesday. Raid night. Worse still, you forgot that you’d be formally meeting Ignis and Gladio, although you already had _two_ run-ins with the Shield today. “That was _entirely_ Crowe, by the way. She’s been trying to avoid Gladio all day.” He just waved it off. “Yeah, it’s fine. Gladio told me she’s pretty wild.”  
  
“More like a fucking wreck, if you ask me. You wouldn’t believe the shit she put me through in less than 24 hours of hanging out with her. _And_ she’s my Blade, so I’m stuck with her.” He laughed at that, and you found yourself wishing you could hear him laugh more often. You both walked in silence for a moment, listening to the sounds of your boots against the marble floor before continuing. “As crazy as she is… she reminds me a lot of my older sister. We used to have fun like that.”  
  
You looked down, watching as your footsteps fell in sync with Noctis’. “Do you get to see her often?” he asked. “Your sister, I mean.” You looked up at him and gave a sad smile as you shook your head. Though you tried to hide it, the pain of that soured relationship always lingered, and speaking about it felt like salt on an open wound.  
  
She is, to your knowledge, your only surviving kin; and the only other member of your bloodline left. Both your parents died in an accident when you were ten years old; your sister was twenty. Shortly after their deaths, she left you as well, cutting off communication entirely save for a few letters sent back home to you and your grandmother every year. You learned through those letters that she became a commodore for Niflheim’s army. When your grandmother passed away last year, you decided to join as a recruit in hopes of finding your sister again, but your efforts proved futile. At this point, you haven’t seen her in ten years.  
  
“We… we don’t talk much anymore. Her work was always…” You sighed and tried to think of how to explain a relationship as abnormal as this one. “I just… I haven’t seen her in years.” _Why am I even confiding in him?_ His hand brushed against yours as you walked and you stiffened, unsure if that was intentional. He seemed to draw back a bit. “Sorry. Gladio was wondering how you two got along so well, but I guess that explains it.”  
  
_Gladio_. You saw an opening and you were desperate to change the subject. Being emotionally vulnerable wasn’t your favourite pastime. “Speaking of Gladio, why does she try to avoid him so much?” He rolled his eyes. Not at you or the question, but the situation itself. He probably had to deal with the two of them often enough that it was annoying. “Oh, he’s still hung up on her after she dumped him.”  
  
“Wait, _she_ broke up with him?” He nodded. “Mhmm, and broke his big buff heart too. He’s been trying to win her back ever since. They were together for a few years, so you can probably imagine it was a pretty rough break up for him.” You shook your head, thoroughly confused. “But if he loves her, why would she leave him?” He scoffed. “Beats me. I think Gladio mentioned it had something to do with his position as my Shield, but that’s not really fair to him. He was _born_ into that role, you know.”  
  
“So, does she still love him too then?” It was the only explanation you could think of as to why she wanted to avoid him so bad. Maybe she was going for an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach, although it seemed that for Gladio, absence made the heart grow fonder. He shrugged. “I really couldn’t tell you. She acts weird enough around him that she probably does. Either way, they’re both going to try and drag you into their drama. So be prepared for that.” Man, Crowe really wasn’t joking when she said her life is a mess.  
  
“Relationships are weird. I’m glad I haven’t had to worry about this kind of stuff.” Noctis’ eyes widened. “Wait, you’ve never been in a relationship?” You could feel your stomach tying in knots. How did we even get on this topic? _Oh yeah, because I opened by big fucking mouth._ “Um, yeah. I just… never really dated, honestly.” You shrugged. It was kind of embarrassing to admit, especially at twenty years old, but something about Noctis made you feel like he wouldn’t judge you too harshly about it.  
  
Noctis’ face lit up. “Hold on, so you’ve never even been on a date?” He seemed a lot more intrigued by your nonexistent love life than you anticipated. “Well I mean _yeah_ , I’ve been on a few dates before, but I haven’t really _dated_ anyone. I was never really allowed to. It’s… kind of complicated.”  
  
Complicated was an understatement. Those of your bloodline didn’t get to just fall in love with anyone. First, there was the matter of partner selection, which was usually done by your family. Then they had to court you for _years_ to prove their loyalty. And if you were finally offered a marriage proposal, it had to be approved by Garuda herself to ensure the bloodline would stay as pure as possible. There was always a chance she could deny the union, in which case, the Goddess would then choose a mate for her devotee, and a marriage ceremony was arranged shortly after. The process wasn’t about love. It was just about producing children to continue the divine bloodline, as per the stipulation of the blood pact. You accepted early on that the fairytale idea of living out the rest of your days with the love of your life would remain just that, _a fairytale_.  
  
You paused before asking, “Is it really that surprising?” He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Yeah, kind of.” _Did he just compliment me?_ The two of you walked in a comfortable silence until you reached the front steps of the citadel. Noctis gestured to the man posted by the door, who bowed and promptly disappeared in the direction of the parking garage. Noctis pulled out his phone and started typing away. You did the same and saw that Crowe had texted you a few times.  
  
**_> Crowe:_** _“Okay so, what’s with this ‘Noct’ bullshit?”_  
**_> Crowe:_** _“Seriously, Livi, if there’s something going on between you two, I need to know.”_  
**_> Crowe:_** _“You don’t want to get involved with the royal family or nobles. Trust me.”  
  
**< Livia:**_ _“Crowe, chill. There’s nothing going on. We just hung out before with Prompto. Hanging out again tonight. That’s it.”  
  
**> Crowe: **“Good. Otherwise I’ll have to kick someone’s ass.”  
  
**< Livia:** “If you mean me, then good luck. I kicked your ass every round today.”  
  
**> Crowe:** “Okay, so 1) I was tired from the stairs and 2) suck my dick.”  
  
_You laughed and looked up from your phone, only to realize that Noctis was watching you with a gentle expression. Your heart fluttered in your chest and all of a sudden, your ribcage felt too small for your lungs. Your stomach was doing flips like a Lucian gymnast, and as your eyes met, you found yourself thinking what you always thought when you saw him. _Fuck, he’s beautiful._  
  
He instantly looked away as the man returned with his car. Your eyes widened. “ _That’s_ your car?” He walked down the steps and responded over his shoulder, “Yep. _The Star of Lucis_.” He gestured to where the man was standing, holding one of the doors open. “Hop in.” You settled into the passenger side and patted the leather seat. “Wow, this is way more comfortable than Crowe’s jeep.” He laughed to himself as the car rolled out of the citadel gates and onto the street you usually walked down every day.  
  
You stared out the window, watching the citadel disappear behind another building as Noctis turned onto a different street, and let your thoughts drift to the man beside you. _What’s this feeling?_ This is the same feeling that stopped you from killing him when you had the chance, and he doesn’t even know what you’re sacrificing by keeping him alive. Even if he did, it’s still only a matter of time before…  
  
You sighed internally. It’s not too late to finish the mission. _No._ Maybe he’s feeling the same way. _Also no._ Noctis doesn’t even know you. If he did, he wouldn’t hesitate to have you imprisoned or executed. The fact that you’re _still_ questioning orders, _still_ debating whether or not to follow through and kill him is already a death sentence. Choosing to spare a life or two now won’t change the fact that you’ve killed dozens before him. If he knew you, _the real you_ , he’d only see you as a monster. Nothing good would ever come from this.  
  
_If only I were anybody else.  
  
_“It’s the same with me too, you know.” Noctis’ voice pulled you from your thoughts and you turned back to him. “Hmm? What’s that?” You propped your elbow up on the console and leaned your chin against the palm of your hand, watching him as he spoke.  
  
“Being both royalty and of a divine bloodline may sound cool and all, but I’ve lost a lot of freedoms. Like, the ability to choose my own partner. My dad and his council will decide who I marry. And since royal bloodlines are so particular, I have to be with someone who’s either royalty _or_ of a divine bloodline. As it stands right now, Luna is the only person I know of who fits either criteria.” He sighed. “I mean, I love her, but I don’t want to _marry_ her. She’s like my sister.”  
  
You nodded. “Arranged marriages are very common in my family as well. It’s part of the reason why I never pursued a relationship with anyone. _Am I seriously opening up like this to him?_ “I just always accepted that I don’t have a choice in the matter, and did my best not to get attached to anyone.” He came to a stop at the intersection in front of your apartment complex as the light turned red and looked over to you. “You know, we’re pretty similar.” _Holy shit dude, you have no idea._ “I… don’t usually open up like this to anyone, not even Prompto.”  
  
A smile formed on your face and you could feel the heat creeping up in your cheeks. There was no use trying to hide it, but your skin tone did a good job for you. If you were as pale as Prompto, it’d be a lot more noticeable when you blush. This was one of those _thank the gods I’m made in Garuda’s image_ kind of moments. Still, you joked with him to distract from your growing nervousness. “Aw, look at us bonding over the thrilling prospect of being in loveless marriages for the rest of our lives.” You gently punched his shoulder and he smiled, turning back to the road as the light turned green.  
  
~~~~~  
  
You and Noctis parted ways once you reached the third floor of the complex, and as you entered your apartment, you realized there was still two hours before the party started. Prompto texted you earlier in the week that since Ignis was coming, he’d be making dinner for everyone. There really wasn’t anything for you bring other than yourself. So, with not much else to do, you decided to take a shower and try to find something more casual to wear than your new black mage uniform.  
  
Much like the last raid party, you opted for minimal makeup, not wanting to worry about something so trivial after all the stress Crowe put you through today. Once you finished applying mascara, you stared at yourself in the mirror for a moment and debated pulling your hair back into its usual plait. _I don’t think anyone here has seen my hair down yet._ You guided your hair forward and added some leave-in conditioner and gel. It certainly wasn’t your preferred hairstyle, leaving it down like this, but with the right outfit it could look cute. You decided to just let your hair dry into its natural curls and waves tonight, if only to make a good first impression.  
  
You skimmed through your closet and flipped through each article of clothing. _No. Nope. Ew, definitely not._ You had plans to go shopping with Prompto once you got your first paycheck, but since you wouldn’t be getting paid until the end of the month, you were stuck with whatever shitty clothes you managed to fit in your suitcase two weeks ago.  
  
“Why the fuck am I so nervous?” you asked yourself, pulling a shirt over your head. It was a stupid question because you _knew_ why. You knew exactly why you chose to wear your hair down tonight and why you were struggling to decide on what to wear. Because you felt _something_ for Noctis, and you knew that as part of the Crownsguard, his friends would have the final say in whether or not you’d be allowed anywhere near him. Sure Prompto liked you, but Ignis was still an enigma, and your run-ins with Gladio thus far have been nothing but awkward thanks to Crowe.  
  
You stepped back from the closet and looked at your reflection in the floor length mirror. After spending way too long putting an outfit together, you finally decided on a black crop top, black leather jacket, black skinny jeans, and black boots. _I really need to add some colour to my wardrobe._ You grabbed your phone and took a selfie before sending it to Crowe.  
  
**_< Livia:_** _“Tonight’s outfit. What do you think?”_  
  
**_> Crowe:_** _“You know you can wear some colour, right?”_  
  
**_< Livia:_** _“Okay so then help me pick something when I get paid. Anyway, yes or no?”_  
  
**_> Crowe:_** _“I’m just fucking with you. Yeah, you look fine. Hair looks fucking amazing btw.”  
**> Crowe:** “Why are you worried about your outfit anyway? Trying to impress someone?”  
**> Crowe:** “Wait, you’re not into Gladio are you?”_  
  
**_< Livia:_** _“Wtf?? Ew, no.”  
**< Livia:** “I just want to look like something other than a Glaive for once.”  
  
**> Crowe:** “Okay, then you don’t look like a Glaive OR like you’re trying to impress anyone. ;)”  
**> Crowe:** “Also don’t ‘ew no’ my ex like that.”  
  
**< Livia:** “Says the one actively avoiding him.”  
  
**> Crowe:** “Touché.”  
**> Crowe:** “Whatevs. Text if u need me! <3”  
  
_You checked the time before pocketing your phone. There’s still twenty minutes left, but with literally nothing else left to do, you reasoned that Prompto probably wouldn’t mind if you showed up a bit early. You stepped outside your apartment and took a deep breath before walking over and knocking on the door to apartment 305.  
  
_Oh, there it is._ You were starting to miss that familiar feeling that snakes through your chest and wraps around your lungs. You closed your eyes and took a few more deep breaths to calm yourself as you waited for him to answer the door, determined to fight back as much as possible. _Not now._ “She’s here guys!” Prompto’s footsteps grew louder as he raced towards the door. “So let her in, Prom!” You heard Noctis’ muffled voice coming from further inside the apartment, and almost immediately started to calm down. Anxiety is fucking weird.  
  
Prompto opened the door and looked you up and down. “Well, look at you Miss Livi. Fashionable _and_ on time today.” He gave you a wink. “Suck it.” you replied, laughing to yourself. He smiled and opened the door wider, inviting you in. You stepped into the entrance hall and he closed the door behind you. Sensing your nervousness, he looped his arm through yours and whispered, “I know they might seem intimidating at first, but they’re actually really nice. Don’t worry.” _Easier said than done._ You gave him an anxious smile and he guided you to the living area where Noctis lounged on the sofa, scrolling through his phone and Gladio sat in the armchair, reading a book. “Hey _Gladdy_ , this is Livia.”  
  
Gladio gave you both a sideways glance from his book. “Don’t call me that.” Snapping the book shut, he set it on a nearby end table and stood up. The sheer height difference between the two of you became more obvious as he approached, towering over your small frame. You hadn’t really paid much attention to anything regarding _just how fucking huge this guy is_ when you initially ran into him, other than the fact that it felt like running head first into a fucking _brick wall_. Big and beefy was definitely an understatement. He was all muscle, and yeah, Prompto was absolutely right about the _very_ intimidating part.  
  
“So, _you’re_ Noct’s flavour of the month.” _His fucking what?_ You glanced over at Noctis and he immediately looked up from his phone, irritation clearly on display with the crimson flush that overtook his features. “Hey Gladio, maybe don’t be a dick. Thanks.” he snapped and returned to his scrolling. Gladio only laughed, looking back over his shoulder to Noctis. “Relax, Princess. I’m just fucking around.” He turned back to you. “Had to find _some way_ to get you back after this morning.” He extended his hand out to you. “I’m sure Crowe has already told you _all_ about me by this point, but on the off chance that she hasn’t, I’m Gladio. Nice to meet you, Livia.”  
  
You shook his hand and pointed to the white leather-bound book with gold trim sitting on the end table. “So, what are you reading?” He walked over and picked up the book, holding it out to you. “Loveless.” You took it and skimmed through the pages, reading the first few lines of Act II. _Déjà vu_. The book was _definitely_ familiar, but you couldn’t quite place where you read it before. Maybe it was something you read when you were younger and still in school. _Weird_. “Speaking of which,” Gladio’s voice brought you back from your thoughts, “how did you and Crowe get so close?”  
  
“Oh no you don’t.” Noctis’ voice cut in. Gladio crossed his arms across his chest. “What? I can’t ask questions now?” Noctis sat upright on the sofa and put his phone down. “No, I’m just not letting you drag her into your ‘Crowe’ drama.” He sounded tired, as if he dealt with this often. He _did_ warn you earlier that Gladio would try to pry for information. “It’s fine, Noct.” you reassured.  
  
Gladio scoffed. “So, she’s calling you _Noct_ now?” _What the fuck is this guy’s deal?_ It wasn’t hard to imagine why Crowe broke up with him if _this_ is how he treats people. “Well, on that note, _I’m_ gonna go help Ignis in the kitchen.” With that, Prompto scurried out of the room, obviously not wanting to be caught in the crossfire of Noctis’ annoyance and Gladio’s hostility. “Give it a rest, Gladio.” Noctis rolled his eyes and leaned back on the sofa before returning to his indifferent scrolling.  
  
Gladio turned back to you and nodded, clearly still wanting an answer to his previous question. “Oh, um…well, nothing bonds you closer to someone than getting shitfaced together and having to rush to work super hungover the next morning.” The big, booming sound of Gladio’s laughter filled the room. “Yep, that sounds about right for Crowe.” You laughed nervously. “Yeah, she’s also my Blade, as of today.” He raised an eyebrow at you. “Your partner, huh? Weird. Nyx always let her work alone for some reason, so she’s never had a Blade before. But it’s nice to know that she has someone watching her back now.”  
  
Prompto walked back to the room and leaned in the doorway, motioning for you to follow him. “Thanks for the save. I actually thought they were about to fight.” you whispered as the two of you made your way to the kitchen. He chuckled. “Nah, dude. That’s just Gladio. Personality of a cheese grater.” You couldn’t help but laugh because, holy shit that’s _exactly_ how you’d describe him. As the two of you entered the kitchen, you saw a man, wearing a _‘Kiss the Cook’_ apron, chopping vegetables. “Hey Iggy! This is Livia.” He looked up as Prompto introduced you and smiled before putting the knife down and wiping his hands clean on a nearby dish towel.  
  
“Ah, Miss Livia. So nice to finally meet you. I’m Ignis Scientia.” He reached out and shook your hand with all the poise and elegance befitting a royal advisor. “Noctis has asked me to prepare _meat-and-beet bouillon_ for the evening.” He gestured over the arch window separating the kitchen from the living room to where Noctis sat on the sofa. When you turned to look back at him, he looked up to meet your gaze for only a second before returning to his phone. “He said it happens to be your favourite. Is that correct?” You turned back to Ignis and nodded. _How did Noctis know that? Did Prompto tell him?_ “Ah, wonderful. Well, I modified the recipe just a touch to suit His Highness’ particular taste, but I do hope you will find it to your liking.”  
  
He spoke with a lilt that was so distinctly Tenebraen, you almost wanted to ask him where he was from. _Would that be suspicious?_ Nearly _everyone_ in Niflheim could identify a Tenebraen accent. Could people in Lucis do the same? At one point, you and another colleague had been assigned to serve as body guards for Gralea’s ambassador while he stayed in Tenebrae for two weeks. During that time, you attended numerous council meeting with Tenebrae’s most notable aristocrats, so you were absolutely no stranger to the cadence of Tenebraen speech patterns, especially those of nobility. But if _Ignis_ found that out… In the end, you decided to just ask him, if only to keep the conversation going. “Your accent is so familiar; you sound just like a friend of mine from Tenebrae.”  
  
Ignis raised an eyebrow as he added chopped beetroot to the large pot on the stove. “You must be well traveled to recognize such an accent.” _Okay, so not everyone in Lucis can identify accents. Noted._ You were probably starting to sound suspicious. You could tell he was trying to work out _where the hell_ you would’ve met someone from Tenebrae as a native Lucian, but thank the six for Prompto and his loud fucking mouth because he cut in at just the right time to save your ass. “She worked as a mercenary for a while, Iggy! Can you believe that? Bet she got to travel all over Eos!” _Fuck, I’m gonna have to buy him a drink later for this._  
  
“That’s right. _Lie._ My work took me to places as far from Insomnia as Cleigne, Altissia, and even Tenebrae. I did a lot of sightseeing during that time. _Bigger lie._ Made a lot of lifelong friends from all corners of Eos. **_Biggest_** _fucking lie._ But as amazing and lifechanging as those experiences were, there’s a certain comfort in knowing that I have a place of my own to come back to at the end of the day. I definitely don’t miss it.” You finally sprinkled in some truth there at the end. You had no problem admitting to _yourself_ that your old life fucking sucked _._ Yeah, you sure as hell didn’t miss it.  
  
Ignis only hummed in acknowledgement as he scooped out a chunk of bulette shank to check the tenderness. “Hmm, should let this simmer a bit more.” He covered the pot and placed the ladle on the counter. As you watched him, you found yourself wondering why a Tenebraen native like himself would still be recognized as nobility within the Lucian Kingdom, especially after the fall. You couldn’t imagine the King allowing someone who was not born and raised in Lucis to be in a position as close to his only son and heir as the _royal advisor_.  
  
“Ignis, sorry if this is too forward, but why would the King allow you to be part of the royal council if you’re from Tenebrae?” At that, he chuckled. _Good_ , your naiveté seems to be working _in your favor_ this time. He didn’t bother turning to face you as he spoke, instead choosing to focus on cleaning the kitchen counters. “My family was in service to the Nox Fleuret household for many years before permanently relocating to Lucis. I was quite young when I met Noctis, and I have been in his service ever since. We are as close as kin.”  
  
The sudden realization dawned on you that Ignis had likely been in Tenebrae during the fall. You remembered hearing about it from your grandmother. There was fear in her voice as she told you that The Oracle, Queen Sylvia Nox Fleuret, had perished. She wouldn’t allow you to watch the news broadcasts, as you were so young, but that didn’t stop you from seeing the horrifying images plastered in every local newspaper. Ignis is only two years older than you. When it happened, he would’ve only been around ten years old, and you can’t even begin to imagine how terrified he must’ve felt as his family fled Tenebrae. You had the luxury of experiencing only second-hand distress from the safety of your Gralean family home, while others like Ignis were forced to face those terrors head on. _Another reason to hate Niflheim.  
  
_“By the way, congratulations on your new promotion. Based on what I’ve heard from Noct, I can think of no one better for the job.” He looked up and gave you a genuine smile. “Thanks, Ignis.” _I guess Noctis talks about me a lot more than I thought._  
  
The other two must’ve heard Ignis, because Gladio waved you back over to the living room. “I almost forgot. Congrats on your promotion!” He gave you a firm pat on the back. “Anyway, Noct said you’re pretty badass on the courtyard. I’d love to fight you myself sometime, _if_ you think you could handle it.” His voice took on a more playful tone. He grinned wide and gave you a quick wink. Prompto chimed in, “Oh, yeah! Hey maybe we could all spar against you one day. You know, to see what it’s like. The only person here who’s ever seen you spar is Noctis.” He crossed his arms in a dramatic huff. “Kinda unfair if you ask me.”  
  
You laughed, offering a challenge of your own. “Okay, so how about this. I take you _both_ out to the courtyard, and wipe the floor with your asses. Sound like a plan?” Gladio’s booming laughter mingled with Prompto’s as he swung an arm around your shoulders. “Alright Noct, she’s a keeper!” He took a swig of his drink, pulling you in closer. Noctis smiled, “I’d love nothing more than to see her bring you down a few notches.” Gladio shot him a look. “Can it, Princess.” Ignis rounded the corner, bringing a bowl of soup to where Noctis sat. “Hm, it _would_ do wonders for that pride of yours, Gladio.” the advisor quipped. Gladio only rolled his eyes and retreated to the kitchen to help himself to Ignis’s cooking.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Dinner was filled jokes and embarrassing stories told by Ignis and Gladio at Noctis’ expense, and the sound of laughter filled Prompto’s apartment. And once everyone had eaten their fill, Noctis took charge in leading the group through a raid in King’s Knight. By the time the raid boss was finally defeated, it was dark outside. Noctis excused himself and stepped out onto the balcony to join Gladio, leaving Ignis, and an all too enthusiastic Livia, to listen to Prompto’s seemingly endless chatter.  
  
“So, saw her leaving the citadel with Nyx last night. You know about this?” Gladio started as soon as Noctis closed the glass door behind him. Noctis took a step forward to lean against the balcony and stared down at the near empty bottle in his hand. “She was with Crowe too. You heard it yourself.” Gladio scoffed in response. “Your naiveté is truly astounding at times, Princess. Having a third wheel doesn’t mean anything didn’t happen. How do you know she didn’t go home with him?”  
  
Noctis could feel himself growing irritated, as he was wont to do in Gladio’s presence. He was always pushing his buttons, trying to get a rise out of the Prince. This was no different, and the alcohol in Gladio’s system certainly wasn’t doing him any favors right now. Noctis wasn’t quite sure why the thought of Livia going home with Nyx pissed him off the way it did, but he found himself lashing out as Gladio said it. “Dude, fuck off alright? She’s not like that.”  
  
Gladio crossed his arms over his chest. “And how would you know? You don’t know a damned thing about her.” Noctis finished off the rest of his drink. He would need as much alcohol as possible to deal with Gladio. Unfortunately, he’d only had a few beers that evening. _Why did he come out here again?_ “I know that she doesn’t date.” He challenged, and Gladio raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t date at all? That’s weird.” He followed Noctis’ lead, knocking back the rest of his drink.  
  
“Not really. Her family does the whole arranged marriage thing like mine. I mean, minus all the royalty shit.” Gladio was quiet for a moment, placing his empty glass on the nearby patio table, and Noctis found himself slightly unnerved by the silence. No teasing or mocking? Surely that was enough ammo for Gladio to come up with _something_. I mean, saying that the woman he’s interested in doesn’t even date leaves a lot of opportunity to make a jab at his masculinity or _whatever_ the hell it was that Gladio usually did. But… _nothing_?  
  
Noctis moved to go back inside, but was stopped when Gladio finally spoke. “So… you don’t find that strange at all?” _Strange?_ The entire Lucis Caelum lineage had followed strict marital unions for centuries. Why would Noctis, of all people, find arranged marriage strange? It was all he ever knew. “No? Wait… should I? I mean, arranged marriages are so normal for royal families I never –”  
  
“Yeah, Noct. For _royal_ families and descendants of _divine bloodlines_. Nobody else still does arranged marriages. Not even noble families like mine or Ignis’ do that shit.” Noctis crossed his arms, mirroring Gladio. “Okay, so what are you implying then?” He narrowed his gaze, fully expecting him to say something incredibly offensive, but was rendered speechless – _yet again_ – as Gladio calmly replied, “Not implying anything. Just saying it’s weird.” He was being uncharacteristically mute for someone whose favourite pastime was picking on Noctis. _Whatever_.  
  
Noctis glanced back to the living room, where their friends sat on the sofa. Ignis was casually scrolling through his phone. To his left, Prompto was making wild, animated gestures as he spoke, drawing a bout of laughter from Livia. Her brown hair flowed around her as she moved, first leaning forward on the edge of her seat as Prompto was likely setting up a joke. Then, leaning back as she laughed when he finally reached the punchline. _Has her hair always been this long?_ He’d never seen her wear it down before. _Fuck, she’s so –  
  
_“You should go talk to her.” Gladio’s voice pulled him back to the present and he realized he had been staring. “You can’t keep getting all your information second-hand from blondie over there.” Noctis rolled his eyes, but Gladio continued, “All I’m saying is that you should make a move soon.” Noctis groaned, uncrossing his arms to let them rest at his hips. “Okay Casanova, what do you suggest I do then?” Gladio shrugged. “Easy, take her on a date. Let her see the ‘real you’ or whatever.”  
  
Noctis reached down to grab another drink from the cooler. “Don’t most first dates end up being superficial? I don’t think she’d want something like that.” The can opened with a hiss and Gladio gestured for him to toss another his way too, before offering him a solution. “Okay, so don’t flaunt your wealth or status. KISS.” Noctis choked, spitting beer out onto the patio. “ _WHAT!_?” Gladio grimaced at the sight. “Say it, don’t spray it, Princess. And keep it simple, stupid. K.I.S.S. Do something easy. Why not take her fishing?”  
  
Noctis recovered, wiping his face on the sleeve of his shirt, something Ignis would’ve scolded him for doing. “You… you think she’d like that?” Gladio crossed his arms again and shrugged. “Won’t know until you try. Look, talk to her about it when she’s off duty. Maybe try to catch her after sparring practice, before she leaves the citadel.” Gladio stood up and brushed past him as he headed for the door. “Anyway, I’m going back inside.” He held the sliding door open behind him. “You coming or what?”  
  
Noctis made his way back to the open space of the living room, where a _very_ drunk Prompto was showing off his favourite pictures from the ‘ _Chocobos in Clothes’_ book he kept on his coffee table. Livia’s big green eyes beamed up at Noctis as he entered the room, and he immediately found himself flustering under her gaze. He would need a few days to work up the courage, but he _would_ take Gladio’s advice and ask her out on a date.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The next few days went by as usual, and you found that since becoming a Glaive, your work schedule was _much_ more predictable than when you were back in Niflheim. Wake up, head to HQ and meet up with Crowe, get your schedule from Nyx and head to your designated station, and finally end the day with sparring practice. Today should have been no different than any other, but as you were leaving the eighteenth floor and making your way back to the Glaive Headquarters to turn in your agenda sheet, you couldn’t help but feel you were being watched. As you rounded the corner after exiting the elevator, the unthinkable happened. **  
  
**A hand reached out and grabbed you by the collar, forcefully pulling you into the adjacent corridor. Without thinking, you summoned your daggers and turned around as the hand let go, freeing yourself from the culprit’s grasp. You swiftly lined your daggers against their body, expertly pressing one to the chest and the other to their throat. Moving like this was second nature to you. You didn’t need to see who it was to know where to strike. This was how you always killed, and likely how you always would. _So, Niflheim finally decided to send another assassin._ You scoffed. Fine. I’ll just deal with them like I always do.   
  
The culprit cleared their throat and you wondered why it sounded so strange. So… _familiar_. You glanced up, only to see Noctis – _Noct_ – staring down at you nervously, one arm raised in defeat, as if to plead with you not to follow through with those daggers. _The daggers._ You looked back down to where you still had them pressed against him.  
  
Just like that first night.  
  
You could do it now. In this unknown corridor of the citadel, it’s unlikely anyone would hear him scream, not that you’d give him the chance to anyways. Still, it was the _perfect_ opportunity. The scene played out in your mind. His body, limp in your arms. Frozen in shock. The light from his eyes slowly dimming as he stared up at you, tears streaking down his face. Mouth agape, unable to scream or cry or beg for mercy. Nothing but blood poured from his mouth. It stained his hair and skin. His usual black attire was made even darker as it was soaked with crimson. He’s dying. By your hand, he’s dying.  
  
Maybe it was the way you stood there, deep in contemplation. Or maybe it was your hesitation to dismiss your daggers upon realizing who had grabbed you that made Noctis clear his throat again. “Livia…” he spoke in a low, almost breathless voice. _Fear._ “Livia, it’s me.”  
  
_Oh fuck, he’s dying!_  
  
His voice pulled you from your trance and at once, your senses came back to you. Nausea overtook your small frame and you let go of the daggers pressed against him, watching as they fell to your feet. They dissipated into a blue smoke before they could touch ground and from the corner of your eye, you saw a solid blue form. Your eyes trailed up to where Noctis’ grip tightened, and you realized he had summoned a polearm.  
  
_He's afraid of me.  
_  
“I…” Be it pure shock or seeing the pained expression in his eyes as you met his gaze, you found yourself unable to speak. You backed away from him slowly and your entire body began to tremble. Your knees buckled under you and you fell to the ground. _I almost killed him._ Noctis dropped his polearm and rushed to your side. “Livia, are you okay?” All traces of fear in his voice were quickly replaced with concern as he crouched beside you, but you still couldn’t answer him. You met his gaze and only shook your head in response. Tears threatened to spill over as one hand gingerly grabbed your wrist to steady you, while the other soothingly rubbed circles up and down your back. “Everything’s alright, just breathe.” His voice was warm and tranquil, like all things when it came to Noctis.  
  
What was this feeling? It tore at your insides so violently you thought you were going to vomit. You took a few deep breaths in an attempt to quell the growing nausea, but somehow, even breathing made your head swim. You could feel the heat rising in your face and – Okay, yeah, you were _definitely_ going to vomit. “I’m gonna be sick.” You managed to push away from him before you found yourself hunched forward, expelling the contents of your stomach onto the perfectly polished marble. _Fucking hell.  
  
_The sound of your gagging echoed through the corridor, and you were grateful the other Glaives were either in the locker room or still sparring several floors above you. You did _not_ want your colleagues to see their newest esteemed black mage in such a vulnerable position.  
  
You held the back of your hand to your mouth as you turned back to Noctis. “I am _so_ sorry.” He offered you a black handkerchief from his pocket. You waved it away, pulling your own from one of the seemingly endless pockets of your uniform, and wiped your face. “I was just going to ask – ” You raised your hand to silence him with what little strength you still had left. “No. I don’t care what it is, Noct.” Your voice was hoarse as you said it, despite your efforts.  
  
How long had it been since that first night? How much longer did you have until it wasn’t Noctis pulling you into the shadows, but one of your own men? You evidently weren’t keeping your guard up or paying close enough attention to the number of days that had passed since you first arrived. “I – I need to go home. Bye, Noct.” With that, you sprinted out of the citadel, only stopping to vomit once more as you finally exited the building.  
  
~~~~~


End file.
